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Ten years ago, Brazil led a “pink wave” that carried Latin America to the political left. Now, Brazil appears to be following a global lurch to the right. It is tempting to conclude that Brazilians have changed their ideological stripes and are embracing authoritarianism. For many, the elections pulled the veil off a resilient tradition of Latin American strong-man rule. This is the wrong narrative. Since the restoration of democracy in the mid-'80s, Brazil has been in the hands of governments that ranged across the political spectrum. The left-wing Workers’ Party (PT) swept to power in 2003 led by the charismatic trade unionist Luis Inácio Lula da Silva (known as Lula), who helped bring down the Brazilian military. Lula implemented progressive social policies while pushing economic growth. His political heir in 2011, Dilma Rousseff, was poised to carry on the legacy. In the past few years, Brazil has endured one shock after another. The package of social...